The Grimm Conclusion by Adam Gidwitz

The Grimm Conclusion (A Tale Dark & Grimm, #3) by Adam Gidwitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am sad that this series is over, but it ends in such a satisfying way. I do think that this series is required reading for those who like fairy tales and especially clever retellings. Each volume ups the ante on the grim aspect of fairy tales. Each book seems less appropriate for a younger audience. I'm torn on that. Mr. Gidwitz is obviously a teacher, and he understands the young minds he writes for. I mean, he has to in order to teach them. I'm going to trust that he knows what they can handle, but my personal limit would be 12 or older for these books. There is way too much dark violence and subject matter for kiddos younger than twelve, to my thinking. Also, the cruelty of adults against children in this book is highly disturbing.

I also think this is the saddest out of the series. Wow, the things that our young protagonists are faced with really tore at my heart. And how the cruelty and neglect they experienced warped something inside of them. Gidwitz deals with the psychology of abused/neglected children in a poignant way without getting too soapboxy.

There are some great life lessons here. Family, loyalty, honor, integrity, kindness, and making moral decisions. These kids have to raise themselves and that leads to some issues when they are faced with adult moral decisions. Along the way they make mistakes and have to learn from them and 'face the music.'

This book breaks the 4th wall in a way that the other ones in the series did not. At first, I really didn't like that about the book, but then I saw how integral it was to the story. It was also good because Gidwitz doesn't follow the predictable pattern I expected.

Johnny Heller truly is an awesome narrator. If he didn't win an award for narrating this series, then he was cheated. He deserves it. He was all in, and you would have to wonder how he didn't get emotionally affected by this book as he read. Not just in horror or sadness, but in hilarity, because this book involves all those emotions.

I am biased. I love fairy tales a lot. Yet, I think that increases my standards for fairy tale retellings. Gidwitz is a writer who clearly loves fairy tales just as much as I do, if not more. He respects the genre, and it clearly is a huge creative influence on him in crafting these marvelous books that add very much to the cultural relevance of fairy tales.

If you have not checked these out and you like fairy tales, what are you waiting for?

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Event by David Lynn Golemon

Event by David Lynn Golemon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very good book, although the start was a little rocky. I think that this is an ambitious story, but the reward was sweet. I haven't read that many Alien Invasion novels, because I don't find them that interesting. However, Golemon took the events of Roswell and made it relevant and also far from cheesy. In fact, he took it in an imaginative direction.

When people think of UFO and alien sitings, the 'little green men' always come up. Also, there seems to be a dichotomy when people speak of aliens, either the kind, friendly little green men or the evil aliens who want to probe and dissect humans, and have a sinister purpose. I really liked how Golemon speaks to this alien folklore in a very cool way. He also threw in the type of aliens that scare me like crazy, you know like the Ridley Scott/James Cameron xenomorphs, animalistic creatures of mass destruction with no pity and no morality, but only a hunger and a desire to propagate? The thought of those creatures of earth is massively scary. So it was a neat mix of what we consider aliens in popular culture.

For the conspiracy theorists, there's a nice bit of government alien coverup conspiracy thrown in. The Event Group is integral to that, but also larger and more expansive. This was a really neat idea that I feel the author can take into many directions. I like the tidbits of other famous history elements that were thrown in, like finding the body of a certain 4th century King of Britain (you know who!).

As I read this, I wondered how the author could take such a broad concept and cover it in the relative short 470 odd pages in a satisfactory manner. He does. The ending was quite epic! I hate that so many people died so horribly in this book. I guess that's how it would pay out if there was an invasion of such brutal aliens, but I still didn't like it. Quite a few wince-worthy moments, but also plenty of cheering as the good guy stick it to the next alien monsters of devastation.


Other than the slow start, my major criticism was characterization. I felt that some the characters weren't as well-developed as I would have liked. I sure did like Senator Lee though. What a character! I would love to meet that guy. I pictured an elderly Gregory Peck as Lee. I liked his assistant, Alice Hamilton. Their relationship obviously was a lifelong bond, and it showed. I also liked Gus, the gold prospector who plays a pivotal role. I did like Jack Collins, but he did seem a bit thin at times. He could have used more fleshing out, I thought. Mainly portrayed as a man of action and deep principle. I would just like more of his inner life. I think that is the brooder/analytical thinker in me. I like to dive deep into characters and explore their inner lives as much as I enjoy action moments. I will look forward to following him in later books, regardless. Sarah certainly could have used more development. She seemed like a throwaway character to a big degree. I know with this ambitious story, it's hard to keep up with all the characters, but I feel that the author should pick the most pivotal characters and develop them to the best degree possible.

I'm glad that this was selected as the group read this month. It was a fun, involving read, and while aliens are not a favorite theme or subject for me, Goleman perked my interest and took me on a varied emotional reading journey with this book.

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Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones
My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars

These books are fab on audiobook. Lorelei King is an excellent narrator. While I'm sure these books are enjoyable reading regardless, they are downright fantastic as audiobooks.

Darynda Jones is a hoot. No pun is too silly for her. Charley is hard to take too seriously, but she's definitely the real deal. Charley feels like every woman's id in some ways. She says and does what she thinks. I mean, she named her breasts and ovaries. But I like that she owns who she is. She had to work hard to be okay with her gift and her persona, even when her family doesn't understand her and some don't even accept her for who she is. I like how Charley is kind of boycrazy. She always notices and often flirts with cute guys. It makes her feel more realistic to me and adds to her distinctive persona. And let's admit, some of us girls are a bit boycrazy (we might not take all the guys home, but we do notice them). I like how the story can be outrageous silliness in some parts and very evocative drama in others.

Reyes is absolutely droolicious. Yeah, I don't like to think about who is his dad is though. But outside of that, yum! He is obviously cray-cray about Charley, and I'm a sucker for that kind of hero, for reals. There is a touching innocence about him. It sounds weird, but that's what I get from him. At the same time, man he's so lethal and kickbutt. He's a great match for Charley. I'm leaning towards Theo James as my Reyes.



I also really like Garrett. I like how they trade wisecracks and how even when he doesn't understand Charley, he's a good friend to her. My Garett is definitely Michael Ealy. I'm crushing on Garrett pretty hard now. I must admit.



I enjoyed picturing him as I read this book on the Garrett parts. (big smile)

This is one series where the secondary characters really add so much to the read. I like hearing how Charley interacts with the people around her. Cookie is a fun sidekick/friend/employee and the two of them make a wacky pair in their adventures in this book. Uncle Bob, or UB is an old softie. There are several secondary characters I really liked, and Ms. King made them all distinct in how she narrated their parts.

The mystery was good and I really didn't want to stop listening. It kept me guessing and working my way through the list of subjects. As a result, I ended finishing this in a little over 24 hours. I was making Valentines and doing my drawing homework, and it was great to listen to while I worked.

I'm officially hooked on this series. I'm super glad my library has most of these (if not all) on audio. This is definitely one to do the audios, because Lorelei King's narration is not to be missed. A great mix of paranormal/supernatural/ghost story, mystery and wackiness.

Overall rating: 4.25/5.0 stars


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Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews

Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This was a hard book to rate because the writing is very divergent in the first part versus the last. Very crisp and rather mechanical at the beginning and more descriptive and lush in the last half. I understand why though. Claire goes from being in a gray world in which she is a lethal asset, to living a real life. I think that this is evident in the storytelling.

I can't rave enough about this team of writers, Ilona and Gordon Andrews. Their ability to tell a story with words so well, to convey so many different emotions, and their lack of fear of getting in your face with the violence. And deep down, they are real romantics. I feel like I'm the kind of reader who loves an action/kickbutt story as much as a romance story, and they're great at giving both.

As with Silent Blade, I really like how this is a nod to traditional romance along the lines of Harlequin category books buried in a science fiction action story. In this book, the heroine is in love with and pining for her unattainable boss. She just happens to be a total bad*ss mental assassin who could turn most people's brains into soup with a minimal amount of effort. That was pretty cute, and as a diehard Harley fan, I squeed a little bit. I'll be honest. I liked that Venturo was actually a really nice guy (how cool is it when a hot guy is nice too)? I could feel Claire's conflicted feeling, being in love with him but feeling under his notice. And since it's important to be incognito, she really didn't want to be.

There is a lot of detail given to developing the cultures of the various people, and it's crucial to the story. From Uley to Dahlia, each are very distinctive, and the reader feels Claire's culture shock keenly.

The theme of virtual reality was pretty cool. The descriptions were cinematic and I loved how each psycher saw the landscape differently. I suck at video games, but it reminded me of that andrenaline rush of playing a game and knowing you are going to get nailed to the wall by a better player or the game itself. Of course, Claire had no worries on that score.

This series is so cool. I hope there will be many more books.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.



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Good Groom Hunting by Shana Galen

Good Groom Hunting by Shana Galen
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This was a delightful read. Just what I needed, to get immersed into an escapist story that kept my eyes glued to the page. I think that Josie and Westman are such a great couple. I love how Westman's determination to be a better, more sober man is juxtaposed with Josie's impish desire to be free and do what she wants.

Normally, I'm not a big fan of the hoydenish historical heroine, but Galen does it very well with Josie. Her desire to be a free woman is very understandable and I respected her for it. I liked how she was out and out propositioning Westman in the desire to take a lover with no strings attached. Yes, I hear the record scratching for all the folks who know me. But it really did work for this book. I could see that Josie wasn't anachronistic. She understood, although somewhat naively, that her choices weren't the typical. But after a being in a family where her scary mother holds her on a very tight leash and dealing with the double standards for females, she is determined to live her own life and make her own decisions. She has never gotten over her childish wish to be a pirate like her grandfather.

Westman seems like a good partner, despite the fact that their families are sworn enemies and he's avoiding his old rakish ways, and he's arrogant, bossy and domineering like other men. She's drawn to him in ways that don't quite make sense at first. But as this story unfolds, Josie realizes that there is no way she can keep her heart unattached, and she really doesn't want an uninvolved (other than sexually) lover.

I think Westman is a super sweetie. I really felt respect for him that he had faced how ugly his actions were before he shipped off to India. He wanted to be a better man and make amends. He desired Josie, but in his mind, she was just the kind of woman he'd loved to get involved with when he was a conscienceless rake. However, Josie is different. She's ready to meet him as an equal. She might be inexperienced in comparison, but she's a passionate woman and the only woman for him.

The love scenes are very steamy and well-written. Josie and Westman have great chemistry and you could see that love wasn't far behind. The ending was very romantic. Westmore's gesture turned me into a buttery puddle on the floor. I really needed a strong romance story this weekend, and this fit the bill. I loved how even though their family issues weren't fully resolved, they made a united stand as a couple who were deeply in love, together and fully committed to each other.

I love the camaraderie between Josie and her cousins. They are all different foils for each other, and great partners in crime. If you haven't checked out this older series, you should if you like fun, sexy, exciting, adventurous historicals with heroines and heroes who are perfect for each other, but don't find out until you do about that.

The adventure aspect is a crucial part of this story, and I liked how Galen intersperses letters and correspondence from the history of their grandparents. I still have a fascination with pirates and while this is past the golden age of piracy, it fits well in this story through Josie and Westman's familial heritage as grandchildren of pirates.

There really is much to love about this book. I'm being more picky about giving five star ratings, but this is very close. It was the right book at the right time. Looking forward to continuing this series!

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.


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The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud

The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This follow-up in the Lockwood & Co series lives up to the promise of The Screaming Staircase. Stroud does good when it comes to ghost fiction. While his characters are all by nature children (an important plot point of the series, since only children can clearly see and deal with the ghostly threats that are plaguing England), Stroud doesn't go easy on them. They face some very nasty ghostly threats, and the reader is fully along for the ride.

I am a huge fan of a good and scary ghost story, and there are parts of this novel that are genuinely thrilling. I strongly recommend grabbing this on audiobook. Katie Lyons does an excellent job.

The trio of main characters, Lucy, George and Lockwood, make a great team. Lucy is the 1st person narrator, and the readers feels everything she experiences. Lucy has the 'talent' of hearing ghosts. There is a ghost attached to a skull that George stole from his former employers. George is a geek when it comes to ghosts, and he is nearly obsessed with the idea of communication with a type three ghost, the strongest communicators among the spirits. He performs all kinds of weird tests on the skull, but thus far, it has only communicated with Lucy. Lockwood is the dashing head of the Agency. Lucy still holds him in awe, but she is starting to know him better and realize that he needs her and George as much as they need him. I liked how Lucy and George are like siblings they way the fight with each other and trade insults, but also look out for each other and have each other's backs.

Aptly named, this story is about the growing communication with the skull that Lucy is experiencing, and the dire consequences of that. The skull itself is pretty creepy and disturbing, and I could definitely see why Lucy hated the skull.

I really like how the story builds so well in these books. While I can't say that things start out calm, by the end of the novel all the stuff has hit the fan, and the risk to the leads is very real. Not only from ghosts but from morally bankrupt human beings as well.

Atmosphere is probably the number one requirement of a ghost story. If one asked any of the ghost story masters, they would agree with me, I'm sure. Stroud has endowed this novel with plenty of fantastic atmosphere. He also knows that building tension is also important. Check! There are scenes in this story that almost brought goosebumps on my skin. The ghosts in this book are genuinely lethal, and even the harmless ones are still plenty creepy. The manner in which these hauntings manifest definitely helps to make the most of both atmosphere and tension.

I really like this series, and this book was equally good as the first, if not better. There were a rare few moments where I felt like my interest wavered and the story lost momentum. But overall, the plotting was excellent. While I didn't expect to find a good mystery, he definitely delivered one, and I was happily satisfied and surprised at the reveal. I definitely have to give this 4.5/5.0 stars

If you don't read juvenile/middle grade fantasy or horror, you need to start doing it now, and add this series to the top of your list of future reads.

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Justice League of America, Volume 2: Survivors of Evil by Matt Kindt

Justice League of America, Vol. 2: Survivors of Evil by Matt Kindt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a nice chance to see some less represented characters front and center: Stargirl and Martian Manhunter. They are members of the Justice League of America and the only ones who can help liberate the Justice League members who are entrapped in a psychic prison, and evert world destruction.

Together, they make their way through a surreal set of challenges in which they are incorporated into or witness the punishing illusions that their fellow superhero colleagues are subjected to. In the process, they must face their own fears, and tap into inner wells of courage.

I wasn't familiar with Stargirl, but she seems like a good analog for the average girl. While I think most young women and girls look up to Wonder Woman, we're not Amazonian princesses (with goddess-like powers), and there will always be a realization that Wonder Woman is in some ways an unattainable standard. However, Courtney is an average girl, albeit one who has gained access to a staff that gives her extraordinary powers. Her youth and hope is a real asset in this crisis.

This is a three star rating because I didn't get into the story that much. I felt I was just trying to finish it so I could return it to the library. Perhaps it was hard to connect to the story outside of Manhunter and Stargirl's dilemma. I much preferred the previous volume, with the ensemble cast who kept my interest. If my library keeps getting these, I'll keep reading them.


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Catwoman, Volume 4: Dollhouse by Judd Winick, Guillem March (Illustrator)

Catwoman, Vol. 2: Dollhouse by Judd Winick
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I liked the artwork in this volume much better. Selina's features aren't harsh in this version, and she does have the sharper, intelligent beauty of a cat. The story was pretty good, but the ending was a bit anticlimactic as far as the Dollhouse storyline. It was really disturbing what the Dollmaker was doing to those poor streetwalkers. I'm glad that they had Catwoman to fight for them.

I liked Catwoman's team-up with Spark. The inclusion of the Talon storyline was good too. Catwoman's sympathy for the Talon made sense in light of her antiheroic/villainous reputation. Catwoman continues to toe the line of moral ambiguity. Her actions are often spurred on by self-interest even if she does the right thing.

Looking forward to the next installment.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.

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Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child

Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a little 'blah' for me. But I think I don't care for monster stories. I don't like twiddling my fingers and waiting for characters to be picked off by the monster. I also didn't like how predictable it was for who would die. It was like Child was mainly killing off the jerky characters. While I am not saying that I want to see likable characters killed off, it seems too calculated to establish a character as a putz and then kill them off. It was a bit sadistic of the author, quite frankly. Also, there were characters I didn't know if they made it at the end of the book. Honestly though, I wasn't too sad about one of the characters who got eaten. That's terrible of me, I realize it.

I did like the descriptions of the frozen North a lot, but that's because I love cold weather and winter settings. I live in Texas, so I don't get nearly enough 'winter.' When I feel hot and I really miss winter, I even day dream about there being a good two feet of snow on the ground and playing in the snow. That crunching sound it makes when it's a newly fallen powder. Yup, that's how much I love winter and snow.

Probably my favorite part of this book was the look at winter as a brutal adversary in itself. Now that I could get behind. My favorite part was when the refugees from Camp Fear had to drive across two ice lakes. That was fascinating and it was probably the most exciting moments of the story.

I didn't quite like the concept of the predator itself. It never came together as concretely as it should have. Also, some characters who had promise were underutilized. Logan promised to be an intriguing character, but he was barely in the book. Also, Marshall didn't have much charisma as a lead. Considering his tragic past, I think he didn't have his fears challenged enough in the long run. Usuguk felt a bit one-dimensional to me. The native shaman who provides spiritual/cultural background for the story.

I think this book is a low three stars for me. I rarely give under 3 stars, so getting a three isn't a compliment per se. It's more like saying it's a blah book that didn't offend me enough or I didn't dislike enough to rate lower. It wasn't a bad book, by any means. Just mediocre.

I am thankful for the suggestion to read this for our Action/Adventure Aficionados group read. It was pretty listenable as an audiobook. I am grateful that I found it at my library in audiobook, but I don't think I could have committed to finishing this in print. It just didn't get me excited enough.

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Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Hot in the City by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Chad Hardin, Stephane Roux, Alex Sinclair, Paul Mounts

Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Hot in the City by Amanda Conner
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

It's no surprise this was far from sane or sedate. Harley Quinn can lay claim to neither. I really liked the artwork, the look of the character and the bright color throughout. Both were gorgeous. I really liked how they had every artist who ever drew Harley draw some panels near the beginning. I think the story stays true to Harley's antiheroic, if not villainous nature, without her coming out as overtly psychopathic. I freely admit I am squeamish about overtly psychopathic/sociopathic lead characters.

I'd have to give this 3.5/5.0 stars because there were some parts I didn't much care for, and some segments that were downright bizarre. This book is not for people who flinch at violence or have an issue with the liberal disposition of doggie doo (that part was gross). I think that Harley is humanized by her affection for animals and her tolerance/adoption of the misfits that rent the building she inherits. But readers who like women who are doing their thing and if you're curious about Harley Quinn as her own person outside of being Joker's main squeeze/acolyte (another thing I liked that the Joker was not around in this) might enjoy this.

Would I read the next volume? Sure, if my library gets it. I'd love to get my hand on some Gotham City Sirens.

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All Star Western, Volume 5: Man out of Time by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray , Moritat (Illustrations)

All Star Western, Vol. 5: Man out of Time by Jimmy Palmiotti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoy the heck out of the All Star Western/Jonah Hex graphic novels. Hex is such a character. Not at all a Boy Scout, but he dives into to the fray to defend those who need defending. It sure was interesting to see Hex as a fish out of water in the present. He's not a man to fall in with authority just because, which becomes, well, problematic. However, Hex gets on his feet fast, with the help with a young woman with a taste for older rough and tumble bad boys.

The sex and violence are pretty prominent, but it's not as skeevy as one might think. I also liked how not one story is alike in this volume, but the story arcs have plenty of surprises and twists and turns. I was not expecting what happens in the last story at all. There are lots of cool cameos in this. I never thought I'd see Hex and The Man of Steel in the same comic, but I did!

I am hoping this isn't the last volume.

What will I do if it is? Noooooooooo!!!!

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Black Canary/Zatanna: Bloodspell by Paul Dini, Joe Quinones (Illustrations)

Black Canary/Zatanna: Bloodspell by Paul Dini
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I'd have to give this a 3.5/5.0 because I wasn't enamored of the facial rending of the characters, moreso Zatanna. For lack of a better word, she looked a bit goofy at times, with the exaggerated eyes and arched brows. I'm a bit of a Zatanna fangirl, especially from the previous Paul Dini run, and I liked her look so much better in those. It's a shallow thing, but I can't help how I feel. Overall, the story was good. Pretty straightforward, not a lot of surprises. A cute way to team up to admirable, strong female lead crimefighters, with slightly different approaches. I liked the strong foundation for their friendship and that they made such an excellent team together. I liked the Green Arrow cameo, but I was glad he was strictly a guess star and didn't participate in the major story arc unnecessarily. This is Black Canary's show.

I think readers who enjoy Black Canary and Zatanna will like this book. You may or may not enjoy the art more than me. I was jazzed like crazy that my library had this. Keep them coming!

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.

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Sold to the Enemy by Sarah Morgan

Sold to the Enemy by Sarah Morgan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another really good Sarah Morgan book. This really reminded me of the story of Red Ridinghood and the big Bad Wolf. Selene is sweet as pie and very innocent, with incredible belief in Stefan, based on their chance meeting five years prior. He is the glimmer of hope that she can escape from the figurative and literal prison where her father has kept her and her mother. She sneaks out and meets him and asks for a business loan for her company. To which Stefan agrees, but he also wants to exploit the association to revenge a past insult against his family by her father. Selene believes only the best about Stefan, and when they go to bed together, she is completely willing, excited to experience passion for the first time with a man she views as the only friend she's ever had. But everything backfires when a picture of them ends up in the press and her father finds out about it. Selene realizes that her knight in shining armor is actually the Big Bad Wolf, and her poor innocent heart is broken. Stefan realizes he wronged Selene in his quest for revenge and he wants to make it right.

Selene is such a sweetie! She cracked me up how excited she was with Stefan that first night. I could see how she was putting tiny cracks in Stefan's armor and making the Bad Wolf into her very own adoring Wolf Protector. Stefan was the first to admit he had no conscience, but the truth is that he had turned his conscience off to achieve his goals of success. Selene made him come back to life, but he did it kicking and screaming. He really doesn't want the vulnerability of love, but Selene reached his heart. And when she loses faith in him, it really bothers him. I liked that Stefan has to win back Selene's trust and show him that he was worthy of her faith in him. At the same time, Selene gains a balanced view of him, that he is neither an angel or a demon, but a human being.

As usual, the dialogue is a huge draw to this story. The sometimes inane things that the characters chat about feels realistic. Sometimes you do have strange conversations with people and they know what you're saying, even if it comes out of your mouth in a very bizarre way, because they know you. I think that Selene's parents were less developed, moreso her mother. Her father seems so sinister, and he's clearly an abusive lowlife. But Selene is able to put him into perspective as well . It helps that she has a faithful Wolf to guard her, and she's one Red Ridinghood who can take care of herself, gaining needed independence, that is not compromised but facilitated through her relationship with Stefan.

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At No Man's Command by Melanie Milburne

At No Man's Command by Melanie Milburne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was definitely a unique Harlequin Presents. Aiesha really is a bad girl. She's not a very nice person, and while I felt sympathy for her, at first, she was not easy to like. As time went along, it was clear that her outrageous behavior and caustic personality was a defense mechanism against the deprived nature of her childhood and all its attendant disappointments. She used sex as a weapon, and I'm not ever a fan of that kind of behavior. At the same time, it was refreshing to have a bad heroine and a nice hero. Milburne flipped the usual HP script around, giving Aiesha many of the HP hero traits. I think it would have been cooler if she was independently wealthy so that 'gold digger' aspect was not part of the equation.

The sexuality was a lot more blatant in this book, probably because Aiesha is quite sexually experienced and rather callused about sex. James tends to be more circumspect about sex, although he definitely knows what he's doing in the bed. I would have loved to see him as an inexperienced hero, which would have made the role reversal more thorough. Although James does have a condemning attitude towards Aiesha initially, I really did respect and like him. He was seriously harmed emotionally by Aiesha's antics ten years ago, and had a reason to be angry. I liked that he was able to put that behind him and evaluate Aiesha more thoroughly and he had learned to see past her offensive behavior and sex kitten armor to the wounded woman underneath.

The ending was pretty cool. Aiesha gets her dream come true and her man, and realizes that she doesn't have to be ashamed of her childhood, because none of that is her fault. At the same time, I think she did learn that treating people badly because of what she'd been deprived of wasn't good behavior either.

By the end of this book, I did believe that Aiesha and James truly loved each other, and were more than willing to take a risk and go after a life together, regardless of what had taken place in the past. James showed that he was for her and she showed that she loved him in a very demonstrative way.

I would give this four stars. It was well written and thoughtful. Despite the way it seemed, this is a very angsty and rather pathos-inducing. It made me feel a bit melancholy after I finished it, so that's why I didn't rate it higher.

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The Shekih's Impatient Virgin by Kim Lawrence

The Sheikh's Impatient Virgin by Kim Lawrence
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Conflicted feelings about this one. I thought Karim was a major jerk to Eva. He was so judgmental towards her (pretty much because he had unresolved feelings towards his deceased wife). Eva, I liked, but I wish that her profound attraction to Karim didn't make her such a tongue-tied punching bag.I don't mind sweet and meek heroines, but I think I prefer heroines who will stand up for themselves more than Eva did. I would have liked her to be a little more spunky and come back at Karim when he was being a tool towards her. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if there wasn't this emotional inequality in their relationship.

I could feel some significant sympathy for Karim in his situation, but I don't like when innocent people are used as a punching bag. Such was the case for Karim's treatment of Eva. She made it clear that she didn't want to be married any more than he did. He was the one who ended up at her place. I can't recall that he ever apologized for the misunderstanding even when he found out how he had ended up there.

The ending and their first time together were sweet, and I did like Karim's devotion to his daughter.

I'd have to give this one 3.5/5.0 stars.

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In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz

In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once again, Adam Gidwitz has knocked my socks off. I was skeptical to see what he could do with Jack and Jill, but he more than pleasantly surprised me. I will be very honest. There are a couple of parts of this book that are in no way kid friendly. I mean, I admit I probably read stuff like that when I was twelve, but I would caution a parent to be careful with this book. You might want to read it first and then let your child read it. Or read it together. I'd say that any reader under twelve should be under parental supervision, most definitely.

I loved the narration. I strongly recommend getting the audiobook narrated by Johnnie Heller. His narration is perfect and really adds to this book. I challenge you to read this without talking out loud or even shouting or moaning on some parts.

This kids wormed their way into my heart and I felt deeply for them. And also Frog, the Frog. My heart was broken for what happened to these three friends. I cheered for them when they accomplished incredible obstacles. I held my breath when they found themselves in some very tight and scary parts. And I was very happy when things worked out for a happy ending.

Gidwitz is a person who loves folklore and fairy tales, and it's more than evident. He also has a sometimes twisted, but always funny sense of humor. He seems to stay in touch with the child inside himself. And deep down, there is a very important lesson that spoke to me and no doubt will give young readers something to think about, something very prevalent in this day, with bullying at an all time high. That combination makes him an irresistible writer.

This book has just about everything, even a large, fire-breathing salamander named Eddie. If you are curious, you'll just have to read the book. That's no hardship, although I will warn you, don't start eating when you read the part where Jack and Jill enter the Giant's Cave. You will regret it!

A love letter to young and grown up fans of fairytales, "In a Glass Grimmly" is a worthy follow up to the fantastic book A Tale Dark & Grimm, and I danced a jig when I saw my library had finally gotten this audiobook. It was definitely worth waiting for.

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Why Give?: Excelling in the Grace of Giving by John F DeVries

Why Give?: Excelling in the Grace of Giving by John F DeVries
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading Why Pray? by this author, I felt like I had an epiphany. If I am a believer in God and profess faith in Jesus, why wouldn't I pray intentionally for all that I need in this life? It was a no-brainer, it seems, but it really did hit me like a thundercloud. It was a life changing moment for me. Instead of worrying about everything, I made a point to pray about things. This has been a great blessing. So many weights have been lifted from my tired shoulders.

So when my church started reading Why Give?, I was excited to see what Mr. DeVries has to say about the concept of giving. Fundamentally, we tend to get things all wrong when it comes to giving in the Christian church. We think it's just preachers begging for money. That God wants to take what little we have. When in fact, giving is the essential nature of God. God gave us this earth to live on, he gave us natural resources and air to breathe, and he even gave up his Son for us. Giving tips everything on its axis. We tend to think that by hoarding resources, we can be secure, but God wants us to understand that we cannot outgive God. The more we give, whether it's material or emotional/time resources, the more we will be repaid. Because by giving, we bless ourselves and others.

Actually, the struggle inside with this was not the money aspect. I know God has been good to me, even though I am not a rich woman. He has provided for all my needs in amazing ways when I came to surrender my control issues about money and to trust Him to take care of me and to take Him at His word. He always provides my daily bread and rewards my tiny steps of faith in trusting Him to supply all my needs. What's harder is to give of myself. I am an introverted person and opening up is very hard for me. I can definitely be a time hoarder. I am selfish about myself. This book challenges me to be open and available to be give of myself for the good of God and others. And that can be as simple as praying for someone or taking the time to stop and listen and be available when someone needs my support. But most of all, the energy to do this doesn't come from me, but from the Holy Spirit of God, who lives in me as a believer in Jesus.

The stories in this book made me cry big time. I'm sappy like that. Reading about how Jesus changes lives in some of the most desperate of circumstances and how sharing the Gospel can have an eternal perspective was very profound. That sharing the love of God in Jesus is not about forcing my beliefs on someone, but giving them an opportunity to know the God of the universe in a personal way and how much that God loves and values them. I would read it a little on the way to work and school and tears would come to my eyes. It honestly fed my faith in a way that having an overflowing bank account never could.

As I was thankful for what Mr. DeVries teaches me based on Biblical principles in Why Pray, so I am thankful for what I've learned in Why Give? And when he issued a challenge for me to pray for God to provide funds for me to donate money, and God answered that prayer in an incredible way, I was given tangible evidence that God is the one who provides all I need to be a generous giver and to be created in His image in that regard.

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A Countess by Christmas by Annie Burrows

A Countess by Christmas by Annie Burrows
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I decided to give this four stars because it was an entertaining romance, with characters that I enjoyed reading about. While the conflict is mainly based on misunderstandings of characters and what is said and done, it wasn't too irritating to render the story frustrating or the characters unlikable.

Readers who enjoy a Darcy-like hero, composed, cold, uninvolved and very proper, they will probably like Bridgemere. I enjoy when the hero is forbidding and withdrawn from life, and stiff and we see him thaw out as he is around the heroine and falls in love with her. Bridgmere really liked Helen's authenticity and her caring for others, but at the same time, his experiences with his deceased wife has made him highly wary of love and withdrawn from life, determined not to make bad choices out of emotionalism. As such, there is a see-saw between his being drawn to Helen and his wanting to maintain distance.

As far as drama/conflict, there isn't a lot of external conflict. This story is more about the developing of the relationship between a lonely man and a young woman who was rejected by most of her family except for one lady who adopted her, and as such, she is devoted to the woman and calls her aunt. There is social conflict as Bridgemere is a powerful man surrounded by family who want access to his means and influence, and are playing a game of one upmanship. Helen is continually told she's not good enough for the Earl and couldn't possibly hope for marriage with him, because she's viewed as a threat to the others who see that the Earl likes, respect, and is drawn to her. This is reinforcing Helen's own feelings of unworthiness. Yet at the same time, she does seem to have a healthy sense of self esteem.

I liked that Helen is a spunky and independent person. She reminds me of one of my favorite literary heroines, Jane Eyre, in that regard. Even with the punches she's received in her life, her sense of loneliness and rejection, she won't lay down and die. She'll keep fighting and standing up for herself, and particularly others who need champions.

The holiday atmosphere was lovely, showcasing that the cold Earl really did have a soft, warm heart, especially for children. He makes a point of creating fun and welcoming activities to the overlooked and emotionally neglected children of his relatives. Bridgemere and Helen bond as they engage in these pursuits and they are allowed to see each other as they are, with the rigid social barriers lowered.

This isn't a particularly exciting book, but the writing is good, and the characters and their developing romance engaged me and kept my interest. I kept picking this up when I had a chance and getting drawn into the story, so that I'd read it longer than I should have been due to the need to complete other tasks.

I think readers who enjoy Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte would appreciate this book.

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The Real Boy by Anne Ursu

The Real Boy by Anne Ursu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had to put a lot of thought into this review. Anne Ursu has done that to me with her last two books. I enjoyed her Cronus Chronicles series and it was novel in that it presents a family with people of mixed racial heritage in a very normal, everyday fashion, and I loved that about the books. Plus, it was just plain fun Greek Mythology fantasy with a spunky heroine and her good natured cousin along for the ride.

With Breadcrumbs, she gave us a young girl who touched me deeply. Her internal life and her attachment to a friend as an effort to deal with loneliness and rejection was a visceral ache. I think with The Real Boy, she has strummed that emotional chord again.

Oscar is an orphan who was 'bought' by a charmer to watch over his shop, do the cleaning, and to prepare his herbs for the potions he sells. It is never explicitly stated, but I believe that Oscar has autism. He has sense-related issues (will only eat bread because he doesn't like the feel of other foods), he has trouble looking people in the eye, and blurts out things and doesn't understand social cues, he's got a genius level intellect but others may perceive him as not all there. Oscar starts to believe he's not a real boy because he is viewed as so different.

This touched me deeply, that this boy would feel so isolated and feel so unworthy. This is real, how cruel people are to those who are different. It breaks my heart in fact to see him suffer this way. I think this aspect of the book resonated deeply with me. I also appreciated Oscar's developing friendship with Callie, an apprentice to a healer who has no magic.

The world-building was less impactful. I felt like there was more to be discovered and understood. Although I appreciated how the story builds slowly and the reader's understanding expands with continued reading, too much was assumed in this book, and too little spelled out. The concept of how magic was so crucial to the small island that Oscar lives on, with the folktale of the wizards who became large trees so they could watch over the island, that was pretty cool. Although I feel it sort of becomes less clear and tangible as the story goes along. I would say the reveal towards the end was quite interesting, but to talk about that too much would be a spoiler.

Fundamentally, I feel that Ursu excelled with the emotional landscape of this story, but the fantastical foundation suffers in contrast. Oscar is an unforgettable little boy. His emotional journey speaks to my heart. For that alone, I gave this four stars. I was conflicted because I don't think this book measures up as well as far as a fantasy novel. As with Breadcrumbs, I wonder how much of the emotional depths will register with the young audience it's aimed at. It would be a great thing if kids who feel isolated because of their oddness would feel touched by Oscar's story and would understand that they aren't alone after all.

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The Yuletide Engagement by Carole Mortimer

The Yuletide Engagement by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is definitely a pleasant and serviceable Christmas romance. I didn't find it that impactful otherwise. I did think it was adorable how close Ellie was to her brother. I liked that it was fairly evident that Patrick was into her. I wasn't that impressed by the plot about Ellie's ex-boyfriend, although he was definitely a sleazeball. I think this book lacked intensity that I crave in my HP books, so that was probably my major issue with this book.

I can't think of much more to say than that.

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Reputation for Revenge by Jennie Lucas

A Reputation For Revenge by Jennie Lucas
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I think Jennie Lucas might give Lynne Graham a run for her money with the sweet, naive heroine theme. Josie is as sweet as they come. She really seems out of her league with Kasimir. It seems like shooting fish in the barrel. But Kasimir never knew what hit him. Before he knew it, his plans for revenge that involved Josie were flying away like birdies, and he was stone cold in love.

Jennie Lucas understands the appeal of escapist fantasy romance and she delivers it. While most of the readers of this genre won't know what it's like to swept off our feet by a ruthless billionaire, and probably don't want it in real life, Lucas gives us a 2 hour read that allows us to explore the possibilities. That's why I like this series of books so much. It's a different world and I like that I can spend two hours in that world.

Kasimir is a very bad man. Well, at least he was. I mean, he wants to be. But I think deep down, he's a decent fellow who forgot what was important in life. He lost everything, and when you lose everything, you have nothing to lose. Josie teaches him what it means to love and to sacrifice for love. She teaches him what it means to be a genuine person. And she teaches him to follow his heart and love passionately.

I really liked the first book, Dealing Her Final Card, but I think I liked this one even more. It felt more like Princess fantasy. I liked that they are actually married, and she's not just a mistress. And I think the change in Kasimir is more dramatic than in Vladimir. I also think it's because this was not a reunion romance. The feelings between Josie develop on the page before my mesmerized eyes, and I enjoyed every page of it.

Plus the ending was so sweetly romantic, it made me sigh.

I have to give this one 4.5/5.0 stars.

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Her Christmas Earl by Anna Campbell

Her Christmas Earl: A Regency Novella by Anna Campbell
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Ugh. I hate to give an Anna Campbell book less than four stars. I think I was just underwhelmed. I mean, this is like one of my fave themes, spinster and rogue. But I didn't get as involved emotionally with this story. It's a pretty good short Christmas romance, that I expected to like this more than I did. Don't get me wrong. Erskine has had a thing for Phillipa since they first met, intrigued by this quiet wallflower. Phillipa looks down her nose at Erskine because he's a notorious rake. Apparently her sister wrote a steamy letter to him, and Phillipa enters the tiger's lair to get it back, but ends up locked in a cupboard with him, leading to a compromising position. Marriage is required, and Erskine is actually looking forward to it. That sounds pretty scrumptious. But it didn't come off as well as I expected.

I think I wasn't in the mood for such a self-deprecating heroine. She wouldn't believe that Erskine was into her! While I can understand the reasons for her low self-esteem, I wish she had made the most of having such a sexy hubby who couldn't get enough of her instead of being so 'woe is me'. That brings me to another area that I was disappointed. Usually Campbell rocks the love scenes. These weren't quite as sizzling as she typically manages. Maybe I just wasn't feeling it when I read this.

I admit it might be my mood right now. I'm still grieving and adjusting to things right now, so that does impact you when you are trying to focus on a book. I will try to read this again when I'm in more of receptive mood. I definitely don't want to miss out on Erskine's reformed rake sexiness.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.

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The Paid Companion by Amanda Quick

The Paid Companion by Amanda Quick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to this on audiobook while I made my Christmas cards, and it was an enjoyable read and kept me entertained while I attended to my crafting. The narrator used a voice for Arthur that was a bit stuffy, and not at all brooding and sexy, but otherwise, I can't complain. There was a good balance between mystery and romance in this book. The mystery was quite authentic, and the villain was a fiend. The reveal was suspenseful, and I hadn't figured out who the villain was until the correct time. The storyline was cute, the way that Elenora and Arthur enter each other's lives was a good setup for the building of their relationship. I like that they feel like unique people, even with some of the typical historical romance character traits they have.

Elenora was a very likable heroine. She was intelligent, independent, brave and self-sufficient. But she was also warm and open to love. I liked how she bounced back from some very difficult circumstances in her life, and wasn't going to allow anyone to bully her. She took an active part in solving the mystery, and she was a very good detective.

Arthur was sexy and manly but also gentlemanly and cerebral. That was a very nice combination. While he definitely had a dangerous aura, he was a principled person. I like that he treated Elenora as an equal and it was evident that he really respected her.

The romance was believable and I rooted for their happy ending. Their love scenes were nicely sensual (although it was a bit odd hearing the older, stuffy-sound narrator read the naughty bits).

I think Amanda Quick's book are really good audiobook listens. I feel I enjoy them in this format more than I might in reading them. I think it's because the mystery is so prominent and Quick gets the historical details just right, and her style of romance works really well in this format.

I'd recommend getting this on audio if you can. I realized today that I had a paper copy but I'm glad I did the audio. It's worth the listen.

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Strangers at the Altar by Marguerite Kay

Strangers at the Altar by Marguerite Kaye
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had trouble getting into this book. I should have loved it. I'm a sucker for marriage of convenience theme, I love tortured/angsty characters, and it's set in Scotland. But I had trouble connecting to the characters. Even in spite of the major angst the hero and heroine were feeling, I felt like I was viewing them through a thick glass instead of being plopped right there in the action.

I'm not saying that Kaye isn't a good writer. That's evidently true. I like how honest and authentic she is about women's issues and what it was like being a wife in the 19th century. In that sense, I did feel for Ainsley. I can imagine how difficult it must have been in her marriage, seeing her husband drive them into economic ruin and having her needs unmet and feeling like she was disgusting to her husband.

I guess my disconnect was that I didn't quite believe in the romance between Ainsley and Innes. Innes never won me over and I never formed an emotional connection to him. I think he was really cruel in some ways to Ainsley, even knowing how bad her first marriage had been. I felt the grovel at the end could have been more authentic. I don't know that I would have taken him back so easily after the way he ended things.

So sadly, I have to give this one three stars. I hope I that I enjoy her other books more, because I do see some promise in her descriptive writing, authentic heroines, and sensual romance.

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Queen and Country, Volume 4; Operation Blackwall by Greg Rucka, Jason Alexander (Artist)

Queen and Country, Vol. 4: Operation Blackwall by Greg Rucka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This case hits to close to home for Tara Chase, Minder 2 for the British Special Service. Her school friend has been involved in a sex scandal, a sex video being used to blackmail her father into caving and backing out of a multimillion dollar communcations business deal by a player in the French government. One of her bosses sends her to France to investigate and to intervene in any way possible. In the meantime, her affair with a coworker is starting to get too serious, and Tara knows she's going to have to pull the plug.

This was good stuff. While the art is all black and white, it's beautifully done. The use of lines and shadows show talent that doesn't require coloring to dress it up (although I'm all for full-color artwork when it's there).

The narrative is tense and suspenseful, even though the dialogue is very economical. Tara is a complex woman. Not exactly personable, but she shows a lot of integrity and grit. I like that about her.

This is the first graphic novel I have read on my Kindle Fire, and I was pretty impressed at how easy it was to read and how good it looks. I'm kind of a cheapo, so I'm not saying I'm going to buy a lot of graphic novels in ebook format, but I will consider it more seriously now that I know I like the way they look on my ereader.

Queen and Country is spy fiction, and it works very well in the graphic novel format with the excellent artwork and good writing by Rucka. I paid $3.99 for the Kindle version, and I was pretty satisfied with the purchase.

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To Claim His Heir by Christmas by Victoria Parker

To Claim His Heir by Christmas by Victoria Parker
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I'm so glad that some of my discerning buddies on the Harlequin Presents Reader group raved about this book. It was an excellent short and sexy romance to read before the end of the year. At first, I was thrown by the writing style, very descriptive and emotive to the degree that it was hard to get a feel for the tone initially. But it didn't take long before I was soaking this book up like a sponge. Parker taps into my need for an intense, escapist, passionate romance book. It definitely gave me my angsty/dramatic romance fix.

Thane is all that and a bag of chips! Intense, honorable, grumpy, dedicated to his one and only woman (that alone made me swoon over him), and sexy as all get out. I could totally see why Luciana found him irresistible. He touches on all my hero qualities that I love. Luciana is a great heroine. Her motives are sound and her heart was good. She's strong in the best ways. Even though I did want her to cave and fall in with Thane's plans head first ('cause he was just so very...), I could understand her misgivings and her pain and anguish because of what she'd seen in her parents' marriage and scars from her own childhood. She made the best decision she could have at the time, even though she did deny Thane four years of his child's life. She regretted that she had cost him that and understood how wrong she was about him. While I don't care much for secret baby romance, this was well done. Scenes of Thane bonding with his son made me all cartoon starry eyed.

This is the kind of Romeo and Juliet tale I love. Honestly, I didn't care much for the original play, but Parker has given die hard romantics the version of that tale of young lovers and feuding families that they will love.

The sexual chemistry and tension was off the charts, but what made it so powerful was the delirious and intense love that Thane and Luciana found together and never got over. You could tell it was a once and a lifetime connection and you wanted them to get their happy ending.

Parker has convinced me that she's an author to watch for in the Harlequin Presents line. If she has more heroes in the vein of Thane (no rhyming intended), I'm sold!

Definitely recommend this book. Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

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Saga, Volume 3 (Saga #13-18) by Brian K. Vaughan (Writer), Fiona Staples (Artist)

Saga, Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Saga continues to be a very good graphic novel. The artwork and colors are gorgeous and the story is compelling. I think I would rate this highly if some of the content wasn't deliberately so risque/borderline sleazy. I would love to understand why the author chooses to go in that direction with the story, when the foundational themes of this novel are family, loyalty and solidarity. I'm not a prude, but I do feel like the creator puts some sleaze in here just to see if we're paying attention when we read and view the comic as we turn the pages. Believe me, we are. This story is so good, you can't help but be transfixed. It's what a kid who loves science fiction and fantasy movies and novels is dreaming of seeing as a graphic novel, and hopefully as a movie or tv series one day. It's evident that the creator of this novel has the same foundational series as favorites as many who would read this comic.

I love the fundamental love story here, about how these two people who come from such warring planets and who should be so incompatible, could come together and found a family that is so rich in love. I am interested in the secondary characters and their stories just as much.

I hope my library gets volume 4 and soon!

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Nanny for Christmas by Sara Craven

A Nanny for Christmas by Sara Craven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a cute Christmas book. It seemed a little lighter than usual for Sara Craven, until the evil ex shows up and it gets real. And that woman was wretched! I can't imagine how much Dominic regrets marrying her, except for his daughter. When it's just Phoebe, Dominic and Tara, this almost has a sweet feel, a family oriented holiday romance. It's nicely steamy in parts, but appropriate to the subject matter. Phoebe is perfectly likable, an orphan with a bit of a Cinderellaesque feel. Dominic is a hot dad who is on the intense side. And Tara seems troubled, missing the love of a mother. It works perfectly well for a reader looking for a holiday themed contemporary romance including children. Enough said.

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Don't Ask Me Now by Emma Darcy

Don't Ask Me Now by Emma Darcy
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This is a bonafide love triangle book. Not all that common in Harlequin Presentslandia. Usually the hero is undeniably one man and there's no question that another could claim the heroine's affections. It was kind of a cool twist, actually. The real hero is one that you might not expect at first. Darcy seems to have read plenty of HPs where the heroine moves from the dangerously sexy, irresistible man who broke her heart to a safe, nice man. But something was missing. And her heart seemed to call her back to the 'bad boy' and away from 'safe.' She turns that on its head with this book.

Disclaimer: What I'm going to say in this review isn't quite a spoiler, but it might be!

I'm glad. I couldn't stand Cathy's ex. He was a jerk and user. He was so smug and arrogant and had no respect for boundaries. He was touching the heroine sexually in public, knowing it would cause her discomfort. That's not cool. I was so glad that she came to her senses and realized that sometimes a compulsive attraction to someone isn't always the same thing as true, sustainable love. She realizes it almost too late. I was glad that this point she realizes that Thomas isn't just the safe guy who helped her get back on her feet, but he's a man that is truly worthy of her love.

The descriptions of Cathy's relationship with Anthony are pretty detailed and it's kind of twisted for an older Harlequin Presents. I suppose it's par for the course with an Emma Darcy book. They seemed to be more daring for the time.

This was pretty good, but I don't much care for love triangles, to be honest. And the fact that there was a slight question who the heroine was going to end up with makes it not quite my taste. Others may appreciate it more than I did. I can't deny it's well written though.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.

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The Winter Bride by Lynne Graham

The Winter Bride by Lynne Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is classic Lynne Graham. The heroine is sweet and downtrodden, desperately in love with the hero. The hero had some unexpected depth. He's a tycoon, but has angst from the loss of his wife. It seems like Leo used and dumped her, but he was actually in love with her as well, although he felt guilty that she was barely of age. When they meet again, Angie doesn't want to be bothered with this man who dumped her so callously. She doesn't think he would care that she had his child, especially when she was told he didn't care about her back in the day. Leo actually thinks she had his cousin's child instead, which is ridiculous, considering that she's blond and so is the cousin. But his jealousy clouds his mind. Their reunion is complicated by the fact that his grandfather and her father's employer wants to see her, and her troubled relationship with her estranged father.

This one has a lot of family drama and the angst level is good. As always, the heroine is likable, and the hero seems jerky at first, but turns out to be a good guy, so you root for their happy ending together.

No reason at all to give this less than four stars.

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Secret Avengers, Vol. 2: Iliad by Nick Spencer (Text), Butch Guice (Illustrations)

Secret Avengers, Vol. 2: Iliad by Nick Spencer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Gosh, I find this series incomprehensible. I don't know if it's just me or if it's the script not being that well-written. I don't mind a few twists and turns in a storyline, but there are so many that this book doesn't make much sense to me. I don't think this is a good choice for people who are new to the Avengers comics diving in. I would probably try to track down some older Avengers titles instead of this. There is a lot of assumed knowledge that I feel I only have picked up because of random Marvel title reading I've been doing this year. Other aspects slip over my head and I have to rely on the Marvel Wikia to get more information.

I would give this barely three stars.

This is a preliminary review. I may revise it over time.

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Spider-Woman, Agent of S.W.O.R.D. by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev (Illustrator)

Spider-Woman, Agent of S.W.O.R.D. by Brian Michael Bendis
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I don't know anything about Spider-Woman, and this was my first exposure. It doesn't delve much into her backstory, although there is a foreword. I think that if one wants to learn the most about Jessica Drew, it's better to start with an origin story. I admit the main reason I checked this out was because it has SWORD in the storyline and I became acquainted with this agency through reading/watching the motion comic for Astonishing X-Men, and there is a storyline that features SWORD and the tough as nails, naturally green-haired commander of SWORD, Abigail Brand. She is in this, but as a supporting character.

Overall, this was pretty good. It's practically non-stop action, which is of course, great! Drew can hold her own with the bad guys, even some Super-Skrulls, and that's saying something. She's a very good athlete, and has some enhancements. Although unlike Peter Parker, she can't cling to objects and doesn't use webshooters.

The artwork is very good. Apparently Alex Maleev does it all digitally. It looks hand-drawn and painted, and very lifelike. The use of shadow is spectacular. Although I do feel that some scenes were a bit too dark, and the detail suffered.

I'd give this about 3.5/5.0 stars, because it didn't blow me away. I think I would have benefited from having more backstory on this character before I read this. This is basically a one-shot, but I hope to see more of her in other Marvel titles.

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Suicide Risk, Vol.1 by Mike Carey (Goodreads Author), Elena Casagrande (Artist)

Suicide Risk Vol. 1 by Mike Carey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn't like this as much as I expected. I like the idea of normal people getting powers and becoming superheroes and villains, but the storyline just got weirder and less coherent as it went along. I love the concept of super-powered individuals, and it was interesting how Carey taps into the dark side of that. Similar to what Brandon Sanderson did with Steelheart and Mark Waid with Irredeemable, Vol. 1. It's a scary thought when people have super powers and they are mentally unstable or just plain evil. The damage they can do is incalculable. So I could understand the lead character's motivations on that score, but over time, the story just made less and less sense, and it took a right turn that I didn't like towards the end. The artwork was pretty good, but I didn't find much to enthrall me about the story overall. I'm not sure if I will continue reading this series.

This is a preliminary review. I may add more later.

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Married by Christmas by Carole Mortimer

Married by Christmas by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a cute book. Mortimer kept us guessing on the hero and the heroine until near the end. The reveal on the truth about Lilli's parents' marriage and the true nature of his new love, was surprising.

I was a bit surprised at the beginning and I'm glad that things turned out more innocent than it seemed. Patrick was a nice mix of alpha and beta. He would come on as tough, but he had a marshmallow heart. I liked that about him.

I kept thinking about Lizzy Bennet from Pride and Prejudice because the heroine's name is also Elizabeth Bennet. I don't know if that was on purpose or not.

Not my favorite book by Mortimer, but a pleasant read and nice for a Christmastime read, with its focus on family and how complicated and rich they can make one's life.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.

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Fairest, Vol. 1: Wide Awake by Bill Willingham (Goodreads Author), Phil Jimenez (Illustrator)

Fairest, Vol. 1: Wide Awake by Bill Willingham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I fear for when I finish the Fables series. I love it that much. I am glad there are some spin-off series that I can enjoy, although I'm not too in love with Jack as a character, so I probably won't read that one until I'm desperate. However, when I looked on Bill Willingham's website, I saw that he has a reading order and I was cool to start the Fairest series even though I haven't finished Fables yet. So I read this one on Saturday.

Overall, I really liked it. I'm having trouble concentrating on books right now, so it took me a bit to get into this. However, I did enjoy it a lot. I like that he does something different and deeper with the Snow Queen. Something I was not expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised. I also like the twist on the "True Love's Kiss" rule. I liked the match-making Bottle Imp, and the fact that Ali Baba was the hero. In this book we actually have two heroines, so that was cool as well.

The artwork was gorgeous as usual. I loved the detail that the artist put into drawing and painting the characters. I studied the artists' lines and use of color to draw and paint the characters, and it inspires me to develop my own artwork to a deeper level.

The story at the end about the Lamia was dark. I was really shocked at how it ties into well-known Fables' characters ongoing storyline. It's something that will make me think harder about these secondary characters.

I honestly cannot get enough of these graphic novels. Looking forward to reading more in this series, in addition to the main Fables series.

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The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer

The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
My rating: 3.25 of 5 stars

The Supernaturalist is intriguing dystopian science fiction that would appeal to a younger reader or even older readers who aren't looking for a story that's highly sophisticated. Overall, I liked it, although I was dissatisfied with some elements.

British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (one of my actor crushes) narrates this book very capably, using diverse accents for the characters. I am glad I chose to listen to this even though I have a paper copy. I liked hearing it, which stimulated my imagination in a way that I don't think reading would have done. I have an issue with science fiction in that I can't visualize technical things very well. In the auditory form, I found it a little easier to conceptualize the content.

The story is interesting. Cosmo Hill, young orphan who grew up in a group home that was nothing if not rampant neglect, victimization and abuse, has a near death experience, and he starts to see creatures that seem to sap the life force from people. He also comes into contact with a group who works to kill these creatures, which they have called 'parasites.' Throw in a deeper conspiracy and other elements from your standard dystopian world and you have a pretty good science fiction novel.

However, I found the end unsatisfying. I think that the twist that Colfer gives us in the story called for a richer ending than the one we got. I also think more thought could have gone into the world-building and the story plotting as far as the science fiction elements. It felt a bit superficial. On the other hand, I will say that Colfer is excellent at writing tense action scenes and his fast-paced writing style keeps a reader's interest.

The characters could have been better developed. I liked the secondary characters of Mona, Stefan and Ditto, but I wanted more from them. I feel as though their characterization barely scratched the surface. I realize that I'm being a bit hard on this book. Probably because I am huge fan of this author's Artemis Fowl books and I've read dystopian teen young adult books this year that went deeper in a way that was more satisfying.

Overall rating: 3.25/5.0 stars.

I think this could make a pretty good movie. I'd definitely watch it!

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The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Author/Illustrator), Richard Howard (Translator)

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to this as an audiobook with Richard Gere and Haley Joel Osment, and it was a very good listen. This book is like a dream. You can't expect it to make sense literally. It seems as though it is primarily metaphor and symbolism. I can imagine that a person stuck in the desert might imagine something like this, as his brain is fevered by the heat and lack of water. I haven't been near death, but I imagine that one does go to a different place when one is directly confronted with their mortality.

It's very sad, and I think that it makes me deal with my feelings about death. Right now, I'm having to do that a lot with the recent losses I've suffered. The angst hit me head on, but I can also see the beauty in this short and dreamy story.

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Pulse by Jeremy Robinson

Pulse by Jeremy Robinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book I've read by Robinson, and I can say I like his style. In Secondworld, he had neo-Nazis who have a sinister plan to destroy the world except for 'their kind'. In Pulse, he deals with an amoral billionaire whose plan is to live forever, and make money on the medical technology by selling it to the highest bidder. Throw in some Greek mythology and it's golden. Pulse is a good combination of high octane action and monster thriller.

I had no idea what to expect, and I honestly liked the tension as the story unfolded. It was a pleasant surprise at how things culminate, although this book has a seriously high body count and plenty of violent deaths.

I rooted for liked the Chess team, including its leader, 'King', Jack Sigler. Each member has something different to add to the team. I did wish there was more character development, but with the rapid pace of this novel, that would be pretty challenging. What I did get of the characters I did like. I especially liked Bishop, a team member with a tragic past and a serious anger problem, but deep at the heart, a true hero.

The villains were a bit underdeveloped for my tastes. I would have liked more viewpoint of Ridley and Reinhart. Ridley just came off as a very evil, self-absorbed guy with too much money. I think it would have been nice to see a flashback that revealed why he was so afraid of dying and was going to such extremes not to die. Reinhart just seemed like the bully type who started off abusing nerds on the playgrounds and who graduates to more heinous acts of bullying and villany. It would be interesting to see a flashback of the event that got him booted from the SEALs as well.

Overall, this was very good. The greek mythology foundation was fun and I loved where the author took it (minus the gory descriptions of the creatures rampages--could have done without that). I couldn't give it more than four stars just because I wish the author gave me more depth in the characters. But I tell you, this was a book that I didn't want to put down. It took me a while to read it because I'm really busy this month, not because of boredom. I'm looking forward to getting the Chess Team member ebook novellas and the other full length books in this series.

I'd recommend this book to fans of Matthew Reilly and James Rollins books.

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Year One: Batman/Ra's al Ghul by Devin Grayson, Paul Gulacy (Illustrator), Jimmy Palmiotti (Illustrator), Laurie Kronenberg (Illustrator)

Year One: Batman/Ra's al Ghul by Devin Grayson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I think the connection to Ra's al Ghul was a bit tenuous. Oh, yeah, he was the mastermind of the troubles that Batman and Gotham faces in this book, but it wasn't about Ra's al Ghul. Bottom line: Don't read this as an origin story about Ra's al Ghul. You'll be disappointed. I admit I kinda was. Overall, this was interesting. More or less Batman versus the zombies. If you go into it to read about Batman kicking butt, you'll probably be okay.

Nothing too exciting, but not bad.

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Batman and Son by Grant Morrison, Andy Kubert (Illustrator), John Van Fleet (Illustrator), Jesse Delperdang (Illustrator)

I'm just lately diving deeply into the Batman comics, although I read them a long time ago, and I am a big fan of him as an iconic figure. To my surprise, I found out late last year that he had an actual son. Luckily, my library has a few of these books about Batman and his son, and this is one of them. When Damian shows up, he's a fait accompli, and Batman has to deal with the pathology the boy has due to be raised to be an emotionless killer who believes he's destined to rule the world by Talia in the League of Assassins, and as the grandson of R'as al Ghul. The boy is already a killer and his moral compass is seriously skewed. Batman takes the boy under his wing, knowing that he's a loose cannon. Damian has a twisted daddy complex, and feels the need to prove himself to his father. He sees the current Robin, Tim Drake as competition, and deals with him brutally, as he also treats a somewhat harmless masked villain. It all adds up to one serious complication for Batman. But he knows he has a duty to his son. Overall, I did like this, but I didn't like the prose story stuck in the middle of the graphic novel. To be honest, I stopped reading it. The gleeful brutality of the Joker grotesquely described by Grant Morrison's prose writing was stomach-churning. I had a sensitivity when it comes to that kind of subject matter, so I knew it was time to throw in the towel as the Joker begins his murderous rampage through Arkham. I really like the character of Harley Quinn (as she is portrayed in the Suicide Squad). While I know she's no innocent, it seems as though Joker brings out the very worse in her. Their relationship is the very definition of a toxic romantic relationship. I'm glad she later kicks him to the curve. So the prose story brought down my rating a lot. Also, I felt the ending was too abrupt and a bit confusing. I think that one should try to figure out the chronology of the Damian Wayne story and have the next books handy after they read this.